The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Countries of South-Eastern Europe (SEE) Mr. İsmail Cem, Dr. Blagoj Handziski, Mrs. Nadezhda Mihaylova, Mr. Pascal Milo, Mr. Theodoros Pangalos and Mr. Andrei Pleşu me in Istanbul on 8-9 June on the marging of the Ministerial Conference of SEE Cooperation Process.

The Ministers reviewed the situation and the recent developments in Kosovo in the aftermath of the Sofia declaration of five countries of the region on 10 March 1998 and the meeting in Bonn on 25 March 1998.

The Ministers expressed deep concern over the rapid deterioration of the situation in Kosovo with serious implications on peace and stability in the region. They regret the interruption of the negotiations between the parties and condemn the escalation of the violence, which costs human lives and suffering. They reiterated their full support to the call of the members of the Security Council for immediate cessation of excessive use of force against the civilian population and called on the parties to seek urgently effective results which would include agreement on concrete measures to reduce tensions and to make possible the free and safe return of refugees  and displaced persons to their homes. The Ministers stated that, in view of the experiences of the recent past, timely action on the part of the international community is crucial in cases of such escalating crises.

The Ministers reaffirmed the readiness of their countries to contribute to the negotiating process in any appropriate way in order to facilitate the emergence of solutions acceptable to all concerned.